UTVÆR!

I apologize for the lack of consistent updates, I've been away focusing on a series of web projects that have been taking most of my time. One of them has to do with music, the other two are interesting online stores, so maybe I'll share the details with you later.
Or not.

Meanwhile, I'll leave you with an absurd article examining the allegedly racist undertones behind this ice cream brand (in my country it's called EFE, but it's basically the same) taken from the Aftonbladet, a well known Swedish tabloid. Hilarious.

PS: I'm also considering a rehash of the contents of this blog. I'd like to focus on books and film reviews for a while, I've had a few drafted posts regarding books that I haven't finished for undisclosed reasons. There might be a collaborator soon, we'll see how it goes.

27/08/2011 "update" (prev 5/31/11): due to some real life duties, I haven't been able to update the blog, which means the planned rehash has been once again delayed. As soon as I find some time, I'll work on the design, some new album posts and articles. For now, I won't be able to take care of any requests, I apologize for that.

The most active Zeitgester Music project as of lately (considering the latest three albums), Valborg's new album is a followup of the sound established in Crown of Sorrow, combining several influences and aesthetics in their music ranging from progressive rock to death and doom metal, making their music hard to describe at first.
Similar enough, however, to the likes of late Celtic Frost and Triptykon (specially the latter), and this comparison is fair given their participation in Tom Warrior's Roadburn Festival 2010 and later praise he gave to the band. What's for sure is that the unique blend of sounds in Barbarian makes it one of my favorites of this year.

Great debut album of this new hardcore/sludge band from California, and easily one of the best things I've heard coming from Southern Lord's new batch of hardcore/crust-punk bands. Short, heavy songs filled with hardcore madness and gloom brutality, gravitating towards the likes of Eyehategod and Thou, distancing themselves from these bands with their energetic, fast-paced delivery.

The new collaboration between Horseback and Locrian is here, released in no other label but Utech Records. Two tracks clocking around 20min in total; my favorite being Our Epitaph, focusing in building upon the song structure using a breathtaking layering, involving Locrian's ever present tremolo-picked chords and Horseback's galloping slow riffing, accompanied by sparse drumming turning the song in a heavy trip. The Gift goes the opposite way, setting an eerie mood with the slow, crashing guitars complementing the piano and layered harsh vocals. Short but compelling release.

As of lately, my go-to choice for Stereolab. One of their earliest albums, while it seems softer than Peng!, in here the motorik-fueled beats are more accentuated than in their next albums, even featuring an obvious Neu! homage. There's some noisy tracks that resemble what they'll later do in "Transient Random..." but in a more digestible package. Perfect for fans and starters alike.

Three long songs, three renowned exponents of the contemporary european jazz scene. The Fat Is Gone gathers Paal Nilssen-Love and Mats Gustafsson (from The Thing) with one of the big legends of the German jazz scene (Peter Brötzmann), who displays his wildest, most intense musical side to be in par with the two Scandinavian improvisers, resulting in a very dense record, a must listen.

Look at that smug Paal's face...
This is their first live album recorded around 2005, which has some songs from their debut album and Garage but mostly reinterpreted and loosened out. The live renditions of those songs (Awake-Nu being my favorite and one of the most recognizable songs) leave nothing to be desired from those epic sessions, filled with even more energy than the studio counterparts.

Chord is a collective of four guitar musicians formed in Illinois (among them Trevor De Brauw from Pelican), focusing their efforts into a stripped out, minimalist arrangement revolving around a single chord, distorted and reinterpreted as they please, keeping into account the overall tone and texture of each composition. Inspired in composers such as Tony Conrad and Glenn Branca (specially the latter, since his direct influence can be felt throughout the songs), Chord delivers satisfactory results with this album, their debut.

After Angry Electric Finger 3, 4 Orphans is the new collaboration between these two bizarre figures of the sound collage/dark ambient scene, although it's somewhat of an irr. app. (ext.) album mostly, considering it's based around old Nurse With Wound arrangements, along with the weirdest things the former could come up with in order to spice up the surreal vibe of the album. As usual, artwork by Matt Waldron.

Fonal Records' latest release, Tuusanuuskat is a collaborative work between their label manager Sami Sänpäkkilä (also known as ES) and Jan Anderzén (Kemialliset Ystävät), both very involved in the past and current finnish experimental scene. This album is a series of disjointed sound collages revolving around similar themes, heavily layered in non-abrasive noise. Defying description, the underlying melodies buried beneath these 5 tracks are both confusing and soothing in nature, concealing its real depth.

If there was any doubt that Mats Gustafsson had the required talent to work alongside a jazz band with math-rock leanings (and therefore, constricted to a measure) while retaining the freedom of his intense sax delivery, How To Raise An Ox single-handedly dissipates them all. This incredible collaboration shows the best of Zu in terms of math-rock and free improvisation while leaving enough space for Gustafsson's short and energetic sax outbursts, complimenting without overshadowing the Italian collective.

Architeuthis Rex returns this year in a split with the paranoid, trance-inducing, dark ambient project known as Torture Corpse. 4 songs, three full songs on side A belonging to Torture Corpse and a longer one on side B, belonging to Architeuthis Rex, both following a tribal, psychedelic sound evoking wilderness and ashen, forbidden territories. Released under the niche label Stunned Records, dedicated mostly to noise, drone and dark ambient artists with abstract leanings.

Half recorded during live sessions and another half recorded in studio, this collaboration was commissioned as a "soundtrack for micro-cinematic images on the study of cells", as a tribute to Giuseppe Levi, who researched and exploited the great potential of the in vitro technique, which gives name to this album. Aside from the interesting backstory, Larsen proves again that they shine in collaborative projects. Z'EV delivers his usual experimental approach to percussion to the mix, giving it a strong abstract feel while Larsen controls the mood of the album with its minimalist guitar and synth pair. Somewhat similar to their Nurse With Wound collaboration, Larsen sticks to their minimalistic post-rock side bordering in drone while Z'EV takes care of the bizarre background.

A female duo mapping the mysteries hidden beneath the empty cosmos and the tightly compressed stone crystal with their heavily layered and abrasive noise tapestry, making a clever use of brass instruments and subdued harmonies. Mastered by the veteran James Plotkin.

About Utvær

The name of the blog comes from the Nurse With Wound album's subtitle, Shipwreck Radio Vol 1 and 2 (Seven Sonic Structures of Utvær and Eight Enigmatic Structures of Utvær), it's also a small inhabited Norwegian island located to the northwest of the country, in the municipality of Solund.

In most cases I'll provide the best as possible quality I can get, along with a link to order the album(s). Always remember to support the music you enjoy.